At least four people were killed and 67 wounded in Israeli strikes on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Sunday, according to the Houthi rebels, who control the territory, reported AFP.
Sites Targeted and Devastating Impact
A building in central Sanaa was among the locations hit, along with a power plant and a gas station. Horrifying videos circulating on social media show plumes of black smoke rising from buildings as people flee, with one clip showing a huge fireball erupting between structures in the apparent strike zone.
#Breaking: Massive firework as a result of destruction of a command post of #Houthi terrorists of #Iran‘s Islamic Regime in Sanaa, #Yemen. These terrorists messed with #Israel and the #IsraeliAirForce nicely responded by eliminating their commanders! pic.twitter.com/IXKJxKopSf
— Babak Taghvaee – The Crisis Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) August 24, 2025
Escalation Since Gaza War
Israel and Iran-backed Houthi rebels have exchanged fire multiple times since the war in Gaza erupted after October 7, 2023.
A Houthi spokesperson confirmed the casualties and detailed the impact on civilians, underlining the growing tensions in the region.
IDF Statement on the Strikes
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) described the strikes as retaliatory, stating they were “in response to repeated attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel and its civilians, including the launching of surface-to-surface missiles and UAVs toward Israeli territory in recent days.”
The IDF added that they targeted military infrastructure in Sanaa, including:
- A military site near the presidency palace
- Asar and Hizaz power plants
- Fuel storage sites
“All were used for the military activity of the Houthi terrorist regime,” the IDF said. They emphasized that Houthi forces use civilian infrastructure for military purposes, claiming:
“The strike on the power plants damages the production and supply of electricity for military purposes. The use of these plants constitutes further proof of how the Houthi regime uses civilian infrastructure for military purposes.”
